Review Blog

Mar 20 2017

I don't know what to call my cat by Simon Phillip

Ill. by Ella Bailey. Simon and Schuster, 2017. ISBN 9781471124136
(Ages: 3-5) A new pet brings joy, happiness and a few problems for
the new owner. Where will it sleep? What to feed it and where to
feed it - not the high chair as there will be food everywhere. The
biggest problem of all of course, is what to name the kitten, maybe
not Kitty. It may be difficult to call 'Kitty', when all the cats in
the neighbourhood turn out for tea! The little girl tries Princess
High and Mighty, but the cat definitively did not like the princess
outfit. She tries everything from Pat, Tricia, Tracey and Betty but
nothing seems right. Of course, at the vet's, she discovers an
important fact - her kitten is a boy!
After trying Rocky, Arnie and Mr. Maestro, her cat tires of dressing
up and of being called names that do not fit his character, so he
leaves in a huff. She looks everywhere, even putting up Missing Cat
posters all over the zoo. There on a zoo bench she meets Steve the
gorilla, who follows her home and cheers her up. He messes up her
room, enjoys painting banana pictures, and he even accompanies her
to the Museum and a cafe. Unfortunately, the Bureau for Naughty
Animals takes him away in the BNA van. To the young girl's surprise,
her grey tabby cat returns home with a collar and a name Tricky!
Emma Bailey's delightful digital illustrations are visually
appealing; they lift this simple story and bring the characters to
life. She engages her young audience with her use of fresh modern
colours, wide-eyed creatures and humorous scenes. Look for Tricky
hiding in the gorilla scenes, carefully placed in the Egyptian room,
the cafe and disguised as a BNA agent.
Simon Phillip's picture book story loses its purpose towards the
end, when Steve the Gorilla enters the scene and takes over as the
little girl's pet. Fortunately, the tale gets back on track when the
lost cat returns home, appropriately named Tricky and prepared to be
a great friend to the little girl.
Rhyllis Bignell